At UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on January 21, 2023, Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo will square off for the fourth time.
No clear winner has emerged from the first three. Figueiredo lost a point due to low strikes in the first bout, which ended in a tie. In the rematch, Moreno dominated the Brazilian, taking him down and securing a rear naked choke to end the event. A trilogy bout was made possible by Alexandre Pantoja’s injury, and Figueiredo entered with a revised strategy to win the match.
As a result, the record is presently 1-1-1. Since then, Moreno has bounced back from a loss to defeat Kai Kara-France and win the interim title. This further established the fourth and presumably final matchup.
Moreno’s training with Glory MMA and coach James Krause did seem influence his good performance.
However, Krause is basically blacklisted from the UFC. His team members have been instructed not to associate with him if they want to compete in the UFC. Krause will not be anywhere near the Octagon until he can dispel the recent charges of fight-fixing against him.
Although Moreno has initially shared his support, he had to get a new coach. Fortunately, Moreno has found a solution in Sayif Saud, head coach of Fortis MMA. In Las Vegas, Nevada, Moreno has already spent a lot of time training at Xtreme Couture and the UFC Performance Institute.
Saud has been assisting Moreno with his preparation. Moreno even posted a picture with Saud and other training partners including Raul Rosas Jr. and Marcelo Rojo on his Instagram.
In recent years, Saud has done a great job of turning Fortis MMA into a haven for UFC athletes. He solidified himself and his team as some of the finest in the game. Saud has previously collaborated with UFC competitors including Geoff Neal, Ryan Spann, and Diego Ferreira in addition to Moreno.